Toes in the Sand

Yes, it's been awhile since I last blogged. Why this lapse in updates…pretty simple. It's summer break. Perhaps I don't seem like the "hang ten" kind of girl…but as soon the warm sun showed up I found myself heading to the beach or the pool. I had heard about the Melbourne summer. It seems most have forgotten that I grew up in Texas. In Melbourne, it may be hot for a few days only to find it will soon cool off. Quite different from the four or five months of ridiculous heat we lived through in Texas. On another note I have found it is nice to open the house up in the evenings to let fresh air in, something I was never really able to do in a Texas summer. When you have sons this is a plus.

When many people think about visiting Australia, I believe they think of two things first: 1. Sydney and 2. The Great Barrier Reef. So why should one consider visiting Melbourne while making a trip here, and better yet- why fly four more hours across the continent to visit Perth?

Let's start with Melbourne and what some may consider its charms. I find people are a little more snippy here. It is a large city after all and I suppose they have somewhere more important to be. No times for "hello" or "howyadoin?" But when you are walking through the CBD and visiting the cafes and walking the lane ways, you feel as though you are in Europe. So you might as well act the part and sit and have your coffee. They take their cafes and coffee seriously here. And I am fine with this concept. Melbourne also has beaches (shocker for you that only want to visit Sydney). Furthermore, Melbourne has the Great Ocean Road with the 12 Apostles (or maybe 9 now.) If you aren't familiar with it, google it. Outstanding views, nice beaches, a few rain forests and just enough car sickness on the very windy road to keep things interesting. Also within driving range is Phillip Island. Phillip Island is known for many sites, but our favorite is the penguin parade. Imagine the little penguins (literally the smallest penguins on earth) waddling up on the beach waiting for their friends to come in from the sea as well. Picture a subway. They all wait together, board their little "train" and then wonder up the dunes making stops along the way to drop their buddies off at homes. All happening while the babies wonder out of the nest and cry for their mom or dad and await their pending arrival.

Melbourne is a nice place.

Now, let's talk about Perth. I will try my best not to make Melbournians upset. Perth is simply one of my favorite places to visit in Australia to date. While Melbourne has Phillip Island and the Little Penguins, Perth has Rottnest Island and the Quokkas. A tough competition for which little animal I might love more. Rottnest Island essentially is an island stuck in the past. No cars (a few transport buses), no hotels (just cabins to rent) and only bikes to rent to get around (or you can actually use your feet). It makes you take a deep breath and step back into time. And what better way to relax than to get away from the hustle of the city? The beaches in Perth are pristine and yes there are shark sitings but I always felt safer in Perth due to the helicopters searching the coast line for sharks. They take the business seriously and it made me more confident to wonder into the wonderfully blue waters of the Indian Ocean. Perth is slower. More spread out a bit than Melbourne. People seem to take a little more time and perhaps that is why I love it. It just feels more like Texas (minus the Galveston beaches.) If you need a few other things to entice you, you can also visit the Freemantle Prison and the Shipwreck Gallery. Luckily, Google can give you much more information about these places.

So, if you are considering making a visit to Australia, and I hope to see some of you soon, consider Melbourne but also beautiful Perth.

Yes, Sydney is wonderful (and their train system tops Melbourne's any day). Queensland is a wonderful site as well. But don't forget Victoria and Western Australia.